Sylvania



lNVENTOR PATENTED JAN. 26, 1904.

W. J. BRASHEARS.

SOUNDING BOARD FOR PIANOS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 10, 1903.

NO MODEL.

2 \m d Mfi U UN TED STATES Patented January 26, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

WVILLIAM J. BRASHEARS, OF WILMINGTON, DELAWVARE, ASSIGNOR, BY

MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO C. J. HEPPE 8: SON, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENN- SYLVANIA, A FIRM.

SOUNVDINGV-BOARD FOR PIANOS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 750,248, dated January 26, 1904.

Application filed June 10, 1903.

T (LU whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM J. BRASHEARS, a citizen of the United States, residing at VVilmington, in the county of Newcastle and State of Delaware, have finv ented certain new and useful Improvements in Sounding-Boards for Pianos, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to the casing and sounding apparatus of musical instruments, such as pianos and the like; and the object of the invention is to provide such an instrument with a supplementary sounding board or boards in addition to the ordinary main sounding-board usually inclosed within the casing.

My improvements are particularly applicable to upright pianos. Ordinarily such a piano is provided with a main sounding-board located. behind the strings and attached either to the string-frame or to the framing of the casing. In such arrangements the vibrations of the sounding-board are projected from the back of the instrument, with the disadvantage that when the instrument is placed with its back toward a wall the wall interferes with the projection of the vibrations from the main sounding-board at the back of the piano, and thus minimizes the effect. In orderto cure this defect, my invention provides in an up- 3 right piano a supplementary sounding-board,

located at the back of the instrument, Whereby regardless of the position of the piano the sympathetic vibration of the supplementary sounding-board enhances the power and quality of the tones produced by the vibration transmitted from the strings and the main sounding-board.

Although my improvements are most advantageously employed in upright pianos, I 4 desire it to be understood that 1 do not limit myself to such application of the invention.

My invention consists in the improved construction, arrangement, and combination of parts hereinafter fully described and afterward specifically claimed.

In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated an embodiment of my invention in an Serial No 160,800. (No model.)

upright piano of ordinary construction, in which Figure 1 represents a view of the piano in 5 rear elevation with my supplementary sounding-board in position thereon. Fig. 2 is a transverse section through the rear portion of the casing of the piano, taken on the irregular dotted line 2 2 of Fig. 1, the front portions 5 5 of the piano being omitted as unnecessary to illustrate.

Referring specifically to the drawings, 3 indicates the ordinary metallic string frame upon which the strings are stretched, which frame, as is usual, is mounted upon wooden cross beams or supports 1 and 5 at the top and bottom, respectively, such beams orsupports being of ordinary construction and applica tion in upright pianos and serving to provide 5 supports for the adjacent parts of the casing, as indicated at 6, 7, 8, and 9.

In the rear of the string-frame is mounted the main sounding-board 10, which may be of any usual construction and is formed with ribs 7 or stifieners 11 on its rear surface. This sounding-board 10 is shown as secured to the beams or supports 1 and 5, although it may be secured to the string-frame 3, if desired, and it carries the usual string-bridges 12, which project through openings in the metallic string-frame 3 and support the strings in the usual manner.

At the rear of the instrument I have provided a supplementary sounding-board 13, which, like the main sounding-board, may be of any suitable material or construction, being provided with diagonal ribs 14: on its rear sur face for well-known stiffening purposes. This supplementary sounding-board 13 is slightly 8 5 less in area than the rear opening of the piano, leaving spaces 21 all around it to permit of the free distribution of the atmospheric vibrations from the sounding-board.

At each corner of the supplementary sound- 9 ing-board 13 is a hanger or bracket, as shown at 15 15 15, by means of which the soundingboard is supported from screw bolts or pins 16, which are threaded into the metallic stringframe 3, passed through enlarged holes or openings in the framework and easing out of contact with the sides of said openings, and secured to the brackets 15 by means of screws 17, passing through the brackets or hangers and threaded into the outer ends of the bolts or pins 16.

The supplementary sounding-board 13 may be connected with the main sounding-board 10 by means of pins or sounding-posts 18, which at their inner ends are connected by doublepointed screws 19 or other suitable means with the main sounding-board and at their outer ends with the supplementary soundingboard by means of screws 20, passing through said supplementary sounding board and threaded into the ends of said pins or sounding-posts.

By means of the construction described the two sounding-boards are caused to vibrate in unison by the vibration of the strings, and their vibrations are distributed uniformly in and from the casing to the atmosphere at both front and rear of the piano, thus augmenting the tones produced by the vibration of the strings.

The supplementary sounding-board may be wholly supported from the string-frame by means of the bolts or pins 16 or may be supplied also with the sounding-posts 18, as may be desired. The string-frame may be either removably or permanently fixed in the casing of the piano, as may be preferred, and, as stated before, the main sounding-board may be secured to the frame of the piano-casing, as herein shown, or may be attached to the string-frame.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. In a piano, the combination with the easing, of a string-frame mounted therein, amain sounding-board also mounted in the casing and carrying the string-bridges, and a supplementary sounding-board supported from the string-frame, substantially as described.

2. In a piano, the combination with the easing, of a string-frame mounted therein, a main sounding-board also mounted in the casing and carrying the string-bridges, a supplementary sounding-board supported from the string-frame, and connections between the main sounding-board and the supplementary sounding-board, substantially as described.

3. In a piano, the combination with the easing, of a string-frame mounted therein, amain sounding-board supported solely by the easing independently of the string-frame, and a supplementary sounding-board supported by the string-frame independently of the casing, substantially as described.

4. In a piano, the combination with the easing, of the string-frame mounted therein, the main sounding-board, and a supplementary sounding-board in the rear of the piano supported from the string-frame, substantially as described.

5. In a piano, the combination with the easing, of the string-frame mounted therein, the main sounding-board also mounted in the easing, a supplementary sounding-board in the rear of the piano supported from the stringframe, and pin connections between the main sounding-board and the supplementary sounding-board, substantially as described.

6. In a piano, the combination with the easing, of the string-frame mounted therein, the main sounding-board also mounted in the easing, a supplementary sounding-board at the rear of the piano, and pins passing through the framing of the casing threaded into the string-frame at their front ends and supporting the supplementary sounding board at their rear ends, substantially as described.

7 In a piano, the combination with the casing, of the string-frame mounted therein, the main sounding-board also mounted in the easing, a supplementary sounding-board in the rear of the piano of less area than the rear opening leaving spaces around the board, and. connections from the string-frame supporting said supplementary sounding-board, substantially as described.

8. Inapiano, the combination with the casing, of the string-frame mounted therein, the main sounding-board also mounted in the easing, a supplementary sounding-board at the rear of the piano, brackets or hangers secured to the edges of the supplementary sounding-board, and pins threaded at their forward ends into the string-frame and connected at their rear ends with said brackets or hangers thereby supporting the supplementary sounding-board from the string-frame, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM J. BRASI-IEARS.

itnesses:

SHIPLEY BRASHEARS, IDA J. FORD. 

